Brake slack-adjuster.



Patented Apr.

H. A. WAHLERT.

' BRAKE SLACK ADJUSTER.

(Application filed Aug. 3, 1901.)

(No Model.)

WITNEQSES Att'y.

llnrrnn Starts HENRY A. WVAIILERT, OF ST. LOUIS,

Parent Orrrcu.

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BRAKE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

BRAKE SLACK ADJ USTER.

ESPEOIFIOATION forming part of Letters yatent No. 696,526, dated April 1, 190.2. Application filed August 3, 1901. $e1ial N0- 70,'758. (N0 model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. WAHLERT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented or discovered a certain new and useful Improvement in Brake Slack-Adjusters, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to slack-adjusters for railway-brakes, and has for its object to provide an improved construction of tappet takeup mechanism for operating a ratchet-driven screw by means of which the slack in the brake-rigging due to the wear of the brakeshoes and other causes may be automatically adjusted.

My invention consists in certain combinations and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view showing a brake-cylinder with cylinder-levers and my improved construction applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of my improvement, taken on the line a: 00 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a detail View showing the bell-crank the tappet-rod.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to the form of brake-rigging usually employed on passenger-cars having the brake-cylinder l, cylinder-levers 2 and 3, and the tie-rod 4, though it may also be applied to other forms of brake-rigging.

The dead cylinder-lever 2 is pivoted in the movable fulcrum-block 13, having an adjusting-screw 12 passing through a ratchet-nut lever which is operated by 3001: the take-up mechanism, and a casing 11,

forming a guide for the fulcrum-block 13, is secured to the head of the brake-cylinder and at its outer end carries a cover 14 for the ratchet-nut. To the ratchet-cover is secured a guide-cylinder 15, in which is located the head 26 and spring 23, the said head having a forwardly-projecting stem 27, to which the pawl 29 is pivoted, and arearwardly-extending stem 24, connected to the link 23.

A bell-crank lever 17, having arms 18 and 19, is pivotally mounted in brackets 16, carried by the guide-cylinder, the arm 19 being connected to the link 23 and the arm 18 carrying at its outer end the pivoted dog 20,

which extends into the path of the tappet 22 of the tappet-rod 7. This tappet-rod 7 is supported by means of guide-brackets 1d,secured t0 the brake-cylinder, and bracket 25 on the guide-cylinder 15. To the piston-rod 5 of the brake-cylinder is secured the arm 6, which is adapted to engage the tappets 8 and 9 on the tappet-rod 7.

In the operation of my device when, owing to the Wear of the brake-shoes the brake-cylinder piston makes a longer stroke than is desirable, the arm 6, which moves with the piston-rod, engages the tappet 9 on the tappet-rod 7 and moves the said rod a certain distance from its normal position. The position of the tappets on the rod is so adjusted that when this movement is sufficiently great the tappet 16 engages the pivoted dog '20, rocks the bell-crank lever 17, pushing in the stem 24, head 26, stem 27, and pawl 29, and compressing the spring 2 This brings the pawl into engagement with the ratchet-nut 30, so that when the brakes are released the spring 28 operates to return the head, with its stem and pawl, to the normal position, causing a rotation of the ratchet-nut and an adjustment of the screw 12 with its fulcrumblock 13, thus taking up the slack. During the return stroke of the brake-piston the arm 6 engages the tappet 8 and moves the tappetrod 7 back to its first position.

The dog 20 is pivoted to the arm 18of the bell-crank lever and in its normal position is held against a shoulder or integral part of said arm by a yielding spring 21. By means of this construction the bell-crank lever is turned about its pivot when the tappet 22 engages the dog 20 on the out-stroke of the brakepiston; but in case the tappet-rod should be 0 moved far enough to draw the tappet 22 beyond the end of the dog then upon "the re turn movement the tappet readily turns the dog about its pivot against the yielding spring and passes to the other side without 5 affecting the bell-crank lever.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, Patent, is- 1. In a brake slack-adjuster, the con1bina tion with a tappet-rod and an arm movable with the brake piston-rod adapted to engage and desire to secure by Letters with the tappets, of a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism and a mechanical connection between the tappet-rod and pawl for actuating the same. 1

2. In a brake slack-adjuster, the combination with a tappet-rod having tappets, and an arm movable with the brake piston-rod adapted to engage said tappets, of a pawl-andratchet-driven screw and a bell-crank lever connected to the pawl and actuated by the tappet-rod.

3. In a brake slack-adj uster, the combination of a tappet-rod having tappets thereon, an arm secured to the brake piston-rod forengaging said tappets,apaWl-and-ratchet mechanism, a bell-crank lever for operating the pawl and another tappet on the rod foractuating the bell-crank lever.

4. In a brake slack-adj uster, the combination with a movable fulcrum block and ratchet-driven screw, of a casing forming a guide for said fulcrum-block secured to the head of the brake-cylinder, a pawl and actuating means therefor supported from the easing, and a tapp'et-rod operated by the movement of the brake-piston.

5. In a brake slack-adjuster, the combination with a tappet-rod supported on the brakecylinder and adapted to be operated by the movement of the brake-piston, of a pawl-andratchet mechanism and means for operating the pawl by the movement of the tappet-rod.

6. In a brake slack-adjuster, the combina-' tion with a tappet-rod operated by the movement of the brake-piston, of a pawl-andratchet mechanism, a lever for operating the pawl and a dog pivoted to one arm of the le-. ver and adapted to engage with one of the tappets.

'7. In a brake slack-adjuster, the eo1nbination of a movable fulcrum-block and ratchetdriven screw, a'casing forming a guide for said fulcrum-block secured to the head of the brake-cylinder, a pawl and actuating means therefor supported from the casing, atappetrod operated by the movement of the brakepiston and a guide for said rod also supported from said casing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY A. WAI'ILERT.

NVitnesses:

JAS. B. MAoDoNALD, E. A. WRIGHT. 

